Attitudes to Disposal of the Dead - Gazetteer Query Form

Background to the Gazetteer | Table of Contents


Query

Site name Ravenstone Ring Ditch II
Site number 939
Burial codes 4005 4009 4021 4023 4025 4028 4030 4031 4032 4033 4034 4042 4046 4051 4053 4065 4075 4084 4091 4094 4098 4102 4107 4112 4122 4129 4143 4153 4157 4181 4200
2500bc-14/1300bc A ring ditch from a ploughed out barrow, with four narrow causeways to N,S,E and W. At the centre were two graves. The primary grave consisted of an ovoid shaft, oriented NS, 2.2m x 1.4m x 0.8m deep and into the base of which had been cut a rectangular flat bottomed pit 1.8m x 0.8m x 0.35m deep. In this had been placed a wooden coffin, rectangular with rounded corners, U-shaped in section, and probably monoxylous. There was no trace of a burial within the coffin, the only deposit being a red deer antler spatula, centrally placed on the coffin floor. The coffin fill was red-brown, stone-free soil. A flint fabricator was discovered just above the lip of the coffin pit on the west side. (For a parallel with the artifacts found in association see West Overton 6b Site 466). As bone survival was good on the site, the grave may be a cenotaph.

The secondary grave was a sub-circular pit with sloping sides and rounded base 2m in diameter just east of the centre, and overlapping with the major part of the primary grave. It contained the crouched inhumation of an adult female c30-40, on her right side, arms folded and head forwards. A well made long necked S2 Beaker rested by the left shoulder, and to the left side of the body was a V-bored conical shale button with three flint implements (possibly the remains of a small pouch and contents), and a double pointed bronze awl located beneath the charcoal remains of an oak plank or board 0.6m x 0.2m x 0.02m thick.

RC: from plank or board charcoal HAR-3000 1810 +/- 90

An antler gouge was found in the higher silt of the ditch.
Remains/Period Y4
County Buckinghamshire
Region SE
National grid square SP
X coordinate 853
Y coordinate 489
Bibliographic source Allen 1981


Query

© Internet Archaeology/Author(s)
Last updated: Tues Aug 10 2004